


The roles to us assigned at birth

by Tui_and_La



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Childhood Friends, Family, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Training, Xing, sword and kunai
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-27
Updated: 2019-09-27
Packaged: 2020-10-29 00:38:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20787701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tui_and_La/pseuds/Tui_and_La
Summary: "I set out to rule the worldWith only paper shield and a wooden swordNo mountain dared stay in my wayEven the oceans tremble in my wake."-- East (Sleeping at Last)





	The roles to us assigned at birth

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RizaHawkeye1380](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RizaHawkeye1380/gifts).

> This is the first time I write about Ling and Lan Fan (!!) but I've been waiting for a nice opportunity like this one.  
To RizaHawkeye1380, I hope you enjoy this little piece of fluff. :D

Ling wouldn’t say he liked to wake up before sunrise and walk to the top of the mountain to train. That had been, however, his and Lan Fan’s routine for as long as he remembered and the little boy had learned to enjoy some things about it. 

The prince found comfort in the hearty meal Fu prepared for them before they left, as well as the tea the old man boiled after their hard work. He loved to watch the sun bathe the forest in light and brush the sky in shades of pink and orange on his way up to his destination. He drew strength to face the scarcity of oxygen from the purest scents of nature, especially the petrichor floating in humid air after a rainy night – and rain was never an excuse to cancel training. 

Above all, Ling knew the importance of training in different hours, of waking up against his will and even of the occasional – failed – attempts of practicing in fasting. At age ten, he had already suffered four murder attempts, the last and most dangerous one being the attack from the previous night. 

Fu had told them to give their all in this training and Lan Fan was excellent in following orders. Their fight had been going on for a good ten minutes with the prince dodging the girl’s furious kunai, and only now that his opponent was short in weapons Ling had started to find an open to attack. He was quicker than her, but today Lan Fan was elevating their dispute to new levels and kept surprising him.

The challenge against Lan Fan was, of course, her advantage in long range. Her kunai were ideal weapons for keeping the enemy at a distance, while still useful in closer combat. On the other hand, Ling was passionate about his sword, which was perfect for self-defense when it came down to it. Like it had been that night. In the dark and dizzy from sleep, Ling still let his enemy go away. Now, in broad daylight, he wouldn’t allow himself to lose. 

She stopped his sword with two crossed knives and swiftly escaped his attack. Ling felt himself lose his balance for a second after she managed to sweep his foot, and realized she would attack from behind. He was certain of his defeat now, so could only bet on a faint chance to turn his trunk and stretch his arm hoping she was close enough for his sword to reach. As soon as she was in his field of vision, his widened eyes aimed for her neck, however, it was too late for her to stop her move. Lan Fan was jumping toward him, and Ling felt her skin brush against his blade before she fell on the ground. 

— Lan Fan!! — he shouted terrified as his back met the grass. — Are you okay? 

Ling supported himself on his elbow and searched for her before standing up. He needed to see the damage he had caused. 

— I’m alright, young lord — the girl replied with a hand covering her chin and neck. 

The prince checked his blade to confirm gravity of a wound he couldn’t see, but there wasn’t a lot of blood in it. The old man was already in front of him when he looked up again. 

— The young lord wins — declared Fu putting himself between them. The old man turned his head to face his granddaughter and added: — You get the extra exercises, Lan Fan. 

Ling promptly stood up and protested.

— Wait, she’s hurt!

— It’s just a cut — replied the harsh man. 

— I could’ve killed her, how is that a victory? 

— You didn’t. Besides, a real battle requires real attacks.

— Yes, against my enemies. I can’t count it a victory, because I acted differently from what I intended. Say I planned to hit an enemy and missed by an inch. That could be my death. But say I miss my enemy and hit an ally in a three, four-way battle. Both cases are consequences of miscalculation like hurting Lan Fan. 

— You are correct, young lord. — Fu nodded and raised an eyebrow, seemingly impressed by the boy’s observations. 

— I say we both take a break so I can take care of her. In the meantime, please, make us some tea. We’ll both take extras, afterwards. 

Ling’s words weren’t those of an apprentice, but of a prince. Thus, the old man bowed in agreement and proceeded to perform his task under the shadow of a large tree. 

The prince went in the opposite direction to grab the bag where they kept ointment and bandages for emergencies, Lan Fan following behind. They sat down in that spot between a couple of rocks. 

— Let’s wait a moment to see if the bleeding stops… — he said, studying the cut under her chin with a cloth in hand.

— I admire your wisdom, young lord — she interrupted him like she had been mulling over something. 

— Well, I’d say I’m too young to be _wise_… — he grinned scratching his head.

— Yeah, I was about to say that you also manage to be very naïve. Your heart is too soft — she explained in a lecturing tone, distracted by the blood in her hand. 

— Because we grew up together and I care about you? 

— Because you don’t seem to understand that we are in different positions. That my job is to die for you if it comes to it. 

— Hum, now I’m pretty sure you won’t need stitches — he said and the girl nodded like she couldn’t care less. — Old man Fu has always demanded more of you, saying that you must surpass me in order to protect me. But… we have different skills, right? We can shine in different scenarios, and I’m not defenseless. As a prince, I wanna believe that I can fight for more than myself. If you are my bodyguard, if you are to jump in front of me to save my life, I wanna make sure I can do enough to at least avoid your death. 

She smiled and looked away. Ling couldn’t tell whether she was amused or embarrassed, maybe a mix of both. As he applied the ointment to her wound, she continued to stare at the landscape in front of them. 

— You have the mind of a servant, not a prince. We should all play the role we were born to play, but sometimes there are exceptions. If there are stories of servants who seek power and envy royalty, to the point of betraying their lords, I can believe in a prince who wants to serve his people. 

This time, she gave him a reassuring gaze. He smiled and returned his attention to the bandage hanging on her neck. 

— There. Does it feel better? 

— Sure. Thank you. 

The stood up eagerly and felt the breeze in his hair. 

— Let’s wait for the tea, then!

— Young lord. — Lan Fan stood up as well, and he noticed her concern. — Sorry about last night. You were thinking about it when you stroke the final blow, weren’t you? You hit me out of fear. I was afraid they’d hurt you, too, and I wish I could’ve done more to protect you. 

Maybe she was right. He had dreaded defeat as if his life was on the line, because it had been just a few hours ago, and that had been the source of his impulsive move. He didn’t want to think about that anymore, though. It was a part of his life he had to learn to live with bravely, so he chose to neither confirm or deny her comment. Instead, he met her concern with determination and replied:

— I feel safe with you and old man Fu. And next time we’ll be stronger.

The prince walked away without saying anything else, certain that she wouldn’t insist on the subject. It wasn’t the role of a servant to demand answers, after all.


End file.
